NSW estate agent appeals against fraud jail term

A NSW real estate agent is appealing against her 18-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to trust account fraud charges.

Louise Catherine Sultana was convicted in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday of fraudulently converting $208,639 from her company's sales trust account and $55,062 from her company's rental trust account to her own use.

The director and company secretary of BLM Enterprises, trading as Century 21 Lifestyle Hawkesbury, was also convicted of failing to lodge rental bond funds totalling $66,650.

Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said on Friday that dipping into a trust account was stealing and his investigators would vigorously pursue any agent who helped themselves to funds they were supposed to hold in trust.

Sultana was sentenced to 18 months' jail with a non-parole period of seven months.

She has agreed to pay $349,457 to the Property Services Compensation Fund.

The court heard Fair Trading began investigating Century 21 Lifestyle Hawkesbury after the company failed to lodge an audit for the period ending June 30, 2011.

Sultana appealed against her custodial sentence in the District Court and was granted conditional bail to appear before the Sydney Western District Court on March 6.